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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Thursday, 7 November 2013

This
issue was never tackled in the 2014 Budget. The focus was on getting a
developed world status with a per capita income of USD15, 000. Najib was quick
to point out that Malaysia can achieve this target earlier than 2020.

That status
is meaningless if people can’t cope with rising cost of living; have poor
housing; limited access to wealth-creating resources. The oft repeated generalization
of the richer getting richer while the poor gets poorer isn’t dismissible as just
an envy-driven ranting from the Sad Class.

Sabah
and Sarawak remain as vassal states dependent on KL to chart their future. Tiny
country Brunei with limited land mass can be super rich while Sabah and Sarawak
remain as the sick people of Malaysia.

PM
Najib took delight in declaring that the average household income of Malays is
RM 4457. This was a figure quoted from the 2012 Household Income Survey. He
made the first very public announcement about it at the launch of the
Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Plan.

Unfortunately
the delight and smirk are shared among the Malay elite and the Malay supremacist
only. If that is the income of the average Malay, then no Malay qualifies to
get BR1M. Isn’t the qualifying income level is set at RM3000 and below? If one
looks at the income bracket, the proportion of people earning a mean monthly
income of RM5000 and above is only around 10% in the rural areas and about 33%
in urban areas.

UMNO
politicians pride themselves for having that tender loving care for the
downtrodden and marginalised. They are moved when recipients of BR1M shed tears
of joy at becoming the beneficiaries of UMNO’s benevolence. The other way of
looking at the number of BR1M recipients is to accept that there are 8 million
poor people in Malaysia.

By
their own admission, there are still many people who qualify for BR1M but are
not given. There is much credibility in the claim that 40% of our population
live on a monthly income of less than Rm1200. This means that close to 11
million people live with that income level. 90% of that is made of Malays and
Bumiputeras suggesting that 10 million Bumiputeras lived in poverty and
destitution.

So
what has the affirmative strategies done for Malays and Bumiputeras? It has
resulted in a consistently divided community where income inequality has
remained persistently the same. The top 20% continue their stranglehold on 50% of
the nation’s wealth.

The
issue of income inequality is never mentioned in Najib’s 2014 Budget. Among all
races- income distribution is unequal. Measured by GINI coefficient, all 0.43
and above.

Since
2002 to 2012- The top 20% income share is 50%; the middle 40 shares 36% of
income. The bottom 40% shares 14% of income for the last 10 years. Compare to
the decade before 2002, the income share of the top 20, the middle 40 and the
bottom 40 is the same.

The
Business plan of this country has ensured income distribution remains the same-
the top 20 sapu 50% of the income.

What
is the nature of the business model that has retained these features? It’s the
trickle down mechanism which says to let the top rich subsidize the bottom
feeders, resources, opportunities should be directed to the top and the select
20% so that they create wealth to be redistributed.

Are
these features created by the failure of the market system? The answer it seems
no- it’s the result of government lack of understanding of the market system.
They interfere in the market in the wrong way, i.e. wrong fir the people at large,
right for the top 20%.

Mean
monthly gross household Y

race

2002

2012

x

bumi

2376

4457

1.87

chinese

4279

6366

1.48

indian

3044

5233

1.72

others

2165

3843

1.77

Look
at table. The biggest improvement in monthly income is achieved by Bumiputeras.
The Bumiputera income has improved by 1.87
times compared to 1.48 times for the Chinese, 1.72 times for the Indians and 1.77
times for others.

So
why is the BN especially UMNO attacking the wrong targets and blaming others for
the own shortcomings? In terms of improvement its better than Chinese, Indians
and others. Best improvement thus far.

Unless,
they lied and the figures by the EPU cannot be trusted.

Because
the governmenthas been perpetually
lying to the Malay audience. It has failed to address income inequality among
all the races and most importantly among the Malays.

PM
says average income of Malays is 4457. Malays can’t take comfort in that
because there is huge disparity between the top 20% Melayu dan the bottom 40% Melayu.
The average income of the top20% melayu is rm8000. The average income of the
bottom 40% is 1200. 6.7 million Malays out of 16.8m earns 1200 per month.

4
comments:

The bottom 40% struggles hard enough to make a living. There is NO time to REACH & READ yr piece. They r the die-hard opposition supporters. They look at their conscience diligently even those current life is tough. They answer to their ONE & ONLY Almighty in hereafter.

The top 20% goyang on so many handouts, so much so that what u have been preaching is toxic to them. It could destroy their lifestyles. So if they cant silent u, then less known is better - see no evil & hear no evil. The conscience can be bought by the yearly ummrah to the holy land & that's important comes facing the Lord! These r the die-hard BNers.

That left the the fence-sitting middle 40%. What u wrote does reach them. It's just that in-situ WANTS demand an alternative approach.

Whoever eases their current WANTS gets the vote - simple as that. Hereafter & compassion (national & intra-race) r too distant a factor to be worry now. After all they dont reach their current position without so grace & favour. One MUST be grateful & remember the hands that fed u.

Thus, the extreme polarity in income gap, which is conveniently masked out by the statistical averaging. Gini coefficient tells but only to thos ewho want to know. Otherwise, it draws a blank, especially to the bottom 40%.

Thus, the tug-of-war of conscience & personal wants.

This is the group of people that r been caught mid-stream in a rapid. One failed move could be the end of the whole.

Thank you Dato for doing your homework and your excellent piece that yet again exposed the lies that Umno leaders like to perpetuate because they think we are all stupid. It's hard work trying to convince the Malays that Umno is not their benefactor buy an incorrigible thief in the house. I hope you keep exposing them so that the Malays can stand up for themselves instead of being perpetually kept as slaves to Umno.

Dato Sak,I noticed that PM either did not analyse properly the figures or that he is surrounded by analyst of questionable competency or that his political aides themselves are incompetent ninconpoops or he himself is incompetent. From the figures and statistics that are simple to comprehend PM and the govt cannot even lay it out to the public on correct basis and reference. All this can mean that it is either done purposefully to confused the less-than-intelligent rakyat such as the rural kampung folks or the less educated urban folks or those gullible swallow-everything-as correct-BN folks. Malaysians are an educated lot looking at the numbers or SPM straight "A"s students and the hundred of thousands of graduants coming out of the tertiary education systems. I believe if the Gen Y or X can't even analyse figures or statistics let alone compare, then our education system is useless. No amount of brainwashing can affect simple things call common sense ... or ... our Malaysians are devoid of this...!!!. I am sick of the constant lies and manipulation that the govt has churned out day in day out just to keep itself n power!!Rakyat!!! Please Wake Up!!!Do not let the govt take you for a ride!!! Please use your God given precious brains to think properly and see properly... Do not be hoodwinked by the powers that be .. Do not swallow all the information as the truth...For God Sake... be smart and thinking right as you do not have to go to university to use your common sense... Sheesh!!!!

Let me state this fact. The Budget was prepared with one thing in mind - to ensure that there are critical items that will allow money to be made. The Budget is for Umnoputras in mind. When will Malaysians learn. This is why you can see a lot of holes in the reasons given for the budget.